Archbishop of Montreal opposes medical aid in dying law

The archbishop of Montreal has objected to a section of the Care in Dying Act that would require Maison Saint-Raphaël, a former church converted into a palliative care home, to provide care in dying.

The Archbishop of Montreal and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Montreal Charities have filed an appeal against a law governing medical aid in dying, which will prevent the service from being withdrawn from hospices starting in December.

They argue in their appeal that this violates their rights to freedom of religion and conscience under the Canadian and Quebec Charters.

The plaintiffs say they are faced with an “intractable” dilemma, forcing them to choose between supporting Mason St. Raphael or allowing the former church to “take actions they find morally objectionable.”

That's why they want to repeal that part of the law so that hospices are not obligated to provide medical care in dying.

According to a court document, in September, the archbishop of Montreal asked Health Minister Sonia Bélanger for an exemption from the law, which she refused.

“A consequence of the new law is that acts that we find morally objectionable will be carried out on our property,” the archbishop said in a statement released Tuesday.

“In this way, the state effectively controls the intentions of the founders and donors, as well as the mission of the former church, which we graciously achieve in public organization.”

– This article was translated from French by CityNews